


Come Back To Me

by LepidLilac



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Comments are greatly appreciated!!, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gazing At 3D Projections Of Your Solar System!, KNUCKLE KISSES!, M/M, Mutual Pining, No beta we die like mne, One Shot, Pre-Relationship, Red Paladin Lance (Voltron), Romantic!, Soft Boys, Tagging is so weird, They just miss each other alot, They're so gay (and bi), hand holding!, it's mild tho, klangst, soft klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 09:53:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13187613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LepidLilac/pseuds/LepidLilac
Summary: Keith comes back from the BoM in the middle of the night, and finds a half asleep Lance. Softness ensues.





	Come Back To Me

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted to my Tumblr, but I thought I'd share it here too. I tweaked a few things, so enjoy soft Klance!

When Lance opens his eyes, he sees a hooded figure in front of him, dressed in shades of blacks and purples. At first he’s confused, tensing and reaching for his bayard at his hip reflexively. He stops when he notices what’s under the hood: a pair of warm violet eyes. He knows those eyes.

Somewhere deep inside him Red purrs happily, “He’s back, he’s back, _he’s back_ -”

“Keith?” He mumbles, sleep-soft and slowly relaxing again.  

“Yeah, it’s me.” Keith replies softly as he pushes his hood back, silhouetted by holographic stars and planets that Lance had been watching before he fell asleep. His chest aches unexpectedly at the sight of him. 

He’s curled up on the observatory deck’s stairs, surrounded by various blankets that he probably stole from a closet in the castle. Judging by the holographic projections of the Earth’s solar system, Lance must have been here, lonely and homesick, an implication that makes Keith’s heart twinge. His chocolate brown hair is mussed and his ocean-blue eyes are tired, though just as ~~unfairly~~ pretty as he remembers them. 

Lance yawns and sits up a little, curling the blankets around his shoulders and rubbing his eyes. Keith sits in front of him quietly, watching as blue light washes over him, the edges of his hair glowing from the observation room’s synthetic starlight. The effect is ethereal and Keith commits this Lance to memory, sleepy and bright around the edges. 

Lance suddenly frowns, head cocked as he regards the other in thought. “I’m not dreaming?” He asks hesitantly, looking wary. That surprises Keith slightly and for a moment he thinks maybe this is a dream. 

And on another note, does Lance really dream of him enough to warrant that question? 

Keith immediately squashes the thought, telling himself that Lance is just disoriented from sleep, shaking his head a little. He leans forward and reaches out, brushing his fingers against Lance’s cheek, to prove he’s real, of course, not to make sure that he himself isn’t dreaming.

They feel the warmth of each other’s skin, confirming that this is real. They're here and they're okay. Keith lets out a huff of breath, a relieved but tired sound.

“No, not dreaming. I’ll only be here for a little while though.” He replies, voice low as Lance grabs his hand. Keith expects him to push it away, but instead he holds it, pulling Keith forward a little so his hand is cradled between both of Lance’s, against his heart.

His breath hitches a little at that, pale cheeks going pink. The air around them grows heavy and quiet. Pluto slowly passes over their heads, casting soft light and shadows over their faces for a moment before it carries on in it's sluggish orbit. They're so focused on each other they hardly notice it's passing.

“Don’t leave again.” Lance says, soft and desperate. His heart fractures in response, because _Lance is hurting. Lance misses him._

He’d missed Lance and the team terribly on the Blade’s base, something that he denied vehemently to himself at first. He’d been alone for so long before, so why wasn’t it okay now? After a while, he could no longer deny that his team had a special place in his heart, making themselves known as his family, painful and comforting at the same time.

Everything with the Blade of Marmora is cold and clinical, and he can’t help but to crave this place and the warmth it holds. He doesn’t like being alone anymore.

Keith looks down at their hands, gnawing on his lower lip, conflicted. He wants so badly to stay, to sit and watch the soothing orbits of their solar system, to stay with Lance until he doesn't feel lonely anymore, to be a part of a team that sees him as a person and not a weapon. He wants everything he can't have right now.

He has a responsibility, and he can’t just back out because he misses Lance.

Er. The team. He misses the team.

So he steels himself and meets Lance's gaze again, drawing on the little strength he has left in him.

“I have to.” Keith says and Lance’s face falls, eyes dropping down and lips turned down into a slight frown. “But, I don’t want to! If I could just stay here, I would, but I don’t have a choice right now. The Blade needs me.” He adds hurriedly and hopes desperately that he’ll understand.

He hopes Lance will wait for him to come back again.

Lance is quiet for a moment before he nods, one of his hands dropping so he can hold Keith's properly, squeezing his hand gently. “I understand.”

Keith pulls their intertwined hands forward, impulsively pressing a lingering kiss to Lance’s knuckles as if he’s done it a million times before.

“I’ll come back.” He promises firmly, his eyes are burning with an earnest intensity that's unique to Keith, and Lance's heart stutters in his chest. He's grateful for the dimness of the room, because he's sure his cheeks have gone red.

The blue-turned-red paladin closes his eyes for a moment and breathes out, taking a moment to compose himself. When his eyes open again they aren't sad, they're hopeful and determined.

“I’m holding you to that. I’ll kick your ass if you don’t.” Lance says, a familiar smile curving at his lips.

"Of course you will." Keith laughs for the first time in days, feeling a little hopeful and a little more warm than before. He's glad he came back, even if it's only for a little while. They stay sitting there for a while, Lance shuffling over so Keith can sit beside him beneath the blankets, watching the stars and planets before them. For once, they don't talk. They don't bicker and tease each other. They just soak in the other's company, knowing it'll be some time before they can be together again. The band around Keith's wrist flashes in warning and Keith knows he has to go soon, though he hates to even think about it when Lance is half asleep again, head on his shoulder and hand still clutching his own. He waits till the last moment possible before nudging Lance gently to get his attention. 

He hums in acknowledgement and nuzzles his shoulder slightly. Keith feels a fond smile twitch at his lips. "C'mon let's get you to bed, okay?” Keith says regretfully and Lance pouts but gets to his feet with Keith, though a little unsteady.

For the most part, Keith is the one guiding him back to his room, too tired to have a trust worthy sense of direction. Keith doesn't let his hand go. A heavy warmth has settled itself in Lance’s chest, pushing out the ache that had taken up residence when Keith first left. He hadn't even realized how much Keith affected him until he was gone, leaving him feeling oddly empty and aimless. 

But now he has some sort of comfort, knowing Keith isn't gone forever, and he'll come back (hopefully sooner than later). 

When they reach the door, Lance hesitates before letting go of the other's hand. Keith catches his gaze and smiles at him one last time, a smile Lance knows is only meant for him. He waits for Lance to go in the room before he disappears into the dark of the hallway, forcing himself to not look back or pause, to keep marching on. Flicking up his hood again, he knows he's leaving with more strength than he had when he first came, determined to fulfill his responsibilities so he can come back sooner. He's got proper motivation now, something to come back for.

Or rather someone.

* * *

 When Lance wakes up in the morning, he realizes with a heart equal parts heavy and light, that Keith had led him into his old room, with sheets that still smell like him, and a promise Lance can still feel pressed against his knuckles. 

He turns over and buries his face in Keith's pillow, groaning quietly. All he can do now is wait.

 


End file.
